BAT is strengthening its position in the Russian market, as the company’s press release on the six months’ results shows.

In the first half of 2006 BAT Russia’s volume market share has significantly increased and reached 21.4 per cent.The value share has been brought to 23.5 per cent. According to AC Nielsen, BAT Russia is the fastest growing company in the Russian tobacco market. Sales growth rate in volume terms in the first half of 2006 was up 1 percentage point, in value terms up 1.2 percentage points, and the company sales grew by over 10 per cent year-on-year. One of the most remarkable events for BAT Russia in the first half of 2006 was winning the leadership in Moscow and the Moscow region, where its volume share reached 31 per cent by the end of June. At the same time, the company has enhanced further its portfolio of strategic brands and consolidated its brands’ shares in all price segments. (vt)